Chichester House School House and Dawson Hall Brighton College

Details

BRIGHTON

TQ3204SW EASTERN ROAD
577-1/42/239 (North side)
20/08/71 Chichester House, School House and
Dawson Hall, Brighton College
(Formerly Listed as:
EASTERN ROAD
Brighton College)

II

Public school dormitories and administrative offices.
1883-1887 by Thomas Graham Jackson; easternmost range
1929-1930 by FT Cawthorne. Terracotta moulds made by Farmer
and Brindley and cast by Doultons. Eastern Road elevation is
made from red brick in English bond with dressings of
terracotta and diaperwork of squared, knapped flint; on the
courtyard facing the original buildings, the primary wall
material is flint with terracotta and brick dressings. Roof of
tile. Roughly L-shaped in plan. Gothic Revival style.
EXTERIOR: 3 to 3-and-a-half storeys over half basement.
Scattered fenestration. The Eastern Road elevation articulated
by a series of gabled bays of shallow projection. All windows
are pointed with acute or 4-centred arches: single lancets to
4 lights, most with mullions and transoms. The most elaborate
window form repeated throughout is the cinquefoiled head.
Segmental brick relieving arch in wall above most windows.
Many windows enriched with floral ornaments cast onto the
terracotta blocks. Some enriched terracotta storey bands
throughout. The focal point of this long elevation is the
recessed entrance range, which was designed to terminate in a
square tower with bell cupola rising above the eaves lines,
but which was never completed. The main carriageway is under a
4-centred arch, with a pointed-arch walkway entrance to the
right; the arches subordered and in stone, with elaborate
Tudor-style diapering above each; above a double-height hall
lit by a pair of 2-light, transomed windows set in an aedicule
in florid Gothic style; topping the range a band of blind
crenellation leading to a traceried and crenellated parapet.
Octagonal buttresses framing the entrance range and meant to
serve as base for tower, terminate at eaves line; narrow
recessed range to either side of the entrance group, each
topped by a gablet. On line with octagonal buttresses are
stacks which were meant to be incorporated within upper walls
of tower.
The early C20 range to the right reproduces Jackson's designs
almost exactly, the original terracotta moulds being reused to
complete this work. Of special note are the rib vaulted
ceilings of the carriage- and walkways, the webbing of brick;
the rib corbels were carved by Farmer and Brindley and
represent typical school activities in a deliberately archaic
style. Roof stacks between gabled bays; some ridge stacks in
intermediate ranges. The north facing, or courtyard range
reproduces the several types of pointed-arch window found on
the Eastern Road elevation; the entrance lodge ornamented with
diaperwork; traceried windows to upper-floor hall. The left
return of the Eastern Road elevation has scattered
fenestration, all window trim, like the walls, of brick;
segmental-arched windows in pointed-arched recesses.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
Brick wall to Eastern Road elevation and iron railings to
areas on courtyard.
Jackson's scheme was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1885,
and was published in "The Builder" for 6 June of that year.




Listing NGR: TQ3232604029

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

480667

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
The Builder in 6 June, (1885)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.